The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1887-11-27
MooDUS AND ITS NOISES.
THINGS MoODUs USED TO HAZE, AND
THINGS IT HAS NOH.

THINGS MOODUS USE TO HAVE, AND
THING IT HAS NOV.
TIE Great Fiery Cnrbuncio that Dr. steel
Took Ont of Mt. Tom One Hundred Yenrs
Ago-About Time for Another Csrbuncie.
Moopus, Conn.,. Nov. 26.-Moodus is very
happy. 1t has the ~costliest trotting horse ever
owned by a resident OF Middlesex county, and
a weekly paper. entitled the Moodus Noises.
has Just been started in tho village. The horse
was bought by Prof. Fowler on n recent trip to
Kentucky. 1t is q young stallion, 1t bids fair to
be very fast, and Fowler paid $4,000 for 1t.
Its owner has several other ~trotters that are
among the fastest on the New England turf.
The paper is named after the extraordinary
noises" that made Moodus famous through
the country. It is about as big as q sheet OF
f~oolscap, and 1t is published by George W. Rich.
Moodus is q quaint and sleepy village on Sal
mon River, a few miles from the Connecticut
River. 1t Is at the foot OF Mount Tom. whence
the mysterious noises have issued at irregular
intervals since the earliest settlement of the
country. Early historians have written about
them In q wondering way. The pious ones at
tributed the sounds to the Almighty. and never
failed to interlard their variations with ex-
pressions such as "God-fearing people," of
Tended Deity" and the necessity for supplica-
ton and prayer others thought that tho In
dams god was responsible for them.
and lnstanced as an argument for the
correctness of their theory the Indian
name. Macki.Moodus. which means Place
Of Noises" still others reasoned that the
sounds were caused by internal c.oynynlsions.
No speGulation has eyer satisfactorily account.
tance OF ten miles from Moodns. and n hun
dred years ago IN Salem. ten miles east of tho
village. people lluddleu about their big open
iireplaces as the dismal. hollow, subterranean
rumblinF was borne to them through tho
clvernous chimneys to soc IL witches were not
abroad riding their br9oinstieks. In the day
time the hustle OF work partly suppressed the
sounds. but often on still afternoons u farmer
or housewife would pause mt his or herlabor and
listen ior II moment to tho nlaihtive,, lar;away
dcep. profound. voluminous, and vibrant. and
they seemed to roll along underground instead
Of travelling through the air.
Many lancifui fables have been published by
story writer's with The Moodus Noises for
a text; but the old legend Is z very simple one,
correct. The story runs that DR.. Steel, an
Englishman. skilled in, the, black art. heard of
ton, and moving that the sound betokened
tho existence IN the bowels Of tho Moodus
picking, crossed the. ocean with tho purpose in
mind of getting it. He arrived in Moodns one
day in early autumn and, after making a few h;
Mount Tom in the ensuing evening. He lis
tened intcntly, for several hours to the hollow
rocky caverns hundreds of feet beneath him.
Then ,hetar ne returned to the village: The
silent manner, had wonderfully bril-.
limit eyes. and gave evidence whenever
Of occult knowledge, he was popularity regard
ed as being the EVIL one himself. 1t was
night, and spent several hours in. meditation.
incantation. or scientific exploration. Finally
not much later it was discov"red Il that he had
sailed on a small vessel for England. With the
in ,ir nas, Of the af mma a;nt T Worker sr thG r,umblingSs
No tidings word received from tho English
magician for several, months. and then came
the report by n ship that tho vessel that bore
him from Connecticut was lost In midocoan by
the bursting Of the giant carbunclc. and that
Doctor went to the bottom with his gem.
While he was in Moodus the Englishman ex-
planned to an 9fIuaintance there the nature OF
of certain mountains OF peculiar geological
formation, ard; having attained ~ certain size.
nble to relieve it: that its nature was such that
1t could not brook imprisonment. 1T t4kesa
d d@i'"1e" ss"la a e, Century IrHy h h aaet there vii io be- a ane
Other { one l TORN III in the ,h heart e., Of mt NJ T + ba,,ow
steel was able 10 find. that will conduct its eX-
rlorcr to tho heart Of tho mountain,.a vase
and black dad witches of Mackimoodi gather
nightly before their majestic king. On the
the, damn black rock. n luminous boss like tho
giubous moon, which lights UP the cavern with
u strange. uncalthiy glow of priSmatic hucS.
steel penetrated to this chamber, and had
nIouniain suddenly a"aksd. a mysterious i in
%drau&ht Of air swent around him. and
tn, rush of gathering phantnms arrested his
attention. lie turned anu WIS confronted by
the kl!ns OF he Macnirnoodi and his ,rctinue
of witches. There was II full house. The King
seated himself on his throne. opened court,
what his business was in the. cavern. AS tho
Doctor had the carbunclr and had pruden!ly
put it in his pocket. the King made him hold 1t
up so that the court could see to try tho charge
against him. The King heard tho Doctors
sta tenent. and the white and black. witches
made the pleas for and against tho intruder
respectively. Al the end the King decided
that the white witches Ind tho best OF il.
After all" said his Majesty in conclusion.
rich you and cndow you with supernatural
powers. but we can grow another here without
any trouble, You can go; Or. Steel"
Mrs. Brooks. a very old lady; Is living in
M!oodns to-day, and she, states that DR.. Steel
boarded with her grandmother while he was
In Moodus. and that after his successful trip
into the mountains he showed her his mar
ycllous carbuncse. Il have heard her say" re-
lates Mrs. Brooks. that the Gem was AZ big as
a buttcrnut, and so fiery was its light that no
one could LOOK upon it."
The Moodus noises have been heard several
times within the past forty years. In 1852 they
were heard for several months. and in 1882
there were several manifestations at intervals
in the closing days OF. the winter. Mr.. Rich
hopes that the general interest In the natural
Moodus noises will excite u demand for copies
Of his journalistic Moodus Noises In all parts of
the country.
IN LOVE WITH 4 CHINAMAN.